11th Street story 19 1951

This is Robert Frank’s ‘11th Street story 19’, and it’s a series of photographs printed on paper, like pages from a sketchbook. You know, looking at this, I imagine Frank walking around, maybe a little restless, always observing. Each frame captures something fleeting—a street corner, a passing car. The darks are so rich, pulling you into these little stories. And then you see the numbers scrawled across the film, like notes to himself, or maybe to us. I think of other artists who capture everyday life, like Garry Winogrand. There's this raw, immediate quality that I can really relate to, that feels like a painter's mark-making. It reminds me that art doesn’t always need to be slick or polished, but can be about capturing the grit and beauty of the everyday. It’s like artists are always in conversation, across time and mediums. I get the feeling that maybe Frank was trying to capture something real, something honest. That’s what keeps me painting.